Reflections on the Waitaha Gathering #2 - Mokopuna (the young ones)

A big theme at the Waitaha gathering was children, who are referred to as Mokopuna, or the young ones. In a talk by a Native American Cherokee Grandmother, she advised us to let them be, saying “Children's talents need to be nurtured, they are unique”. We heard a lot of quite different views about children that conflict with mainstream society. But we learned the most through experience.

At one stage there was a passionate plea from one of the mothers when some of the people gathered were getting frustrated with having small children present. I joined the trip only just before it left, and when reading an email it disclosed this was to be a family gathering unlike any other Drunvalo trip. I was quite excited at the prospect. So this was the message which I shared back to the mothers in the group, letting them know that for any who were openly disapproving of sharing space with children, there were equally those who were thrilled to have them there. To me, the children added colour. They also helped us to learn the Waitaha and Maori way of allowing children to do whatever they wanted, including to play in the middle of a formal ceremony, or to scream!

The Mokopuna, as they are referred to, are sacred and actually give a clear reflection of the energy level of a group. Take note when children scream, as you may have been sitting talking too long. We could see quickly when the group energy was off pitch so to speak. The Waitaha people are a nation of peace, but they do not have any notion like the western ideal that children should be seen and not heard. In contrast, children should be children, they should play freely and run and shout and squeal with delight as often as possible! This wisdom was put into practice and the freedom it afforded the children, quite simply, felt right.

So, you might ask, did it bother me the first night when one gorgeous cheeky boy was screaming “Mummy I want to go home?” Not at all. It may not have been ideal sleeping conditions, but in the scheme of things, life was good. I am so grateful for the chance I had later in the trip to help him rolling his trucks and cars down the concrete pathway at the Marae. Life is simple to children and there is much we can learn from them. In fact, we would do well to watch, learn, and join in to play, when we are invited. Remembering though that we do not need to control their play. Games don’t have to have a point to them, or to make sense. When was the last time you took some time to revisit your inner child?

Beyond these learnings from the Waitaha gathering, I have been impressed by the benefit of spending quality time with children reading positive and affirming stories. Meditations for children are being used in schools these days and are often wonderful guided visualizations. Take note and enhance your repertoire as you can also use these meditations to create a safe place for your child to open up and share any worries they may have. Adults at times find it hard to understand what may be playing on a child's mind as the concerns may not seem important to us. Remember, just as no two adults might perceive an event with the same 'reality', your children can also see things very differently. There are many wonderful books for children by respected authors you might be reading yourself, such as Eckhart Tolle, Wayne Dyer, Louise Hay, Esther and Jerry Hicks.

Recently I was with a friend and her young daughter at a café and towards the end came the comment from the mother as to how well behaved her daughter had been. Her daughter is an angel and was a delight, but this is apparently not always guaranteed. We both observed that the attitude of the adults is quite crucial. These days I exist in a much more consistent state of calm, which children pick up on. It is also important that you expect things will go smoothly as Esther and Jerry Hicks discuss in the section on parenting in their latest Law of Attraction book, The Vortex.

Seeing that children live in their hearts, it may just be that by observing them we will find our own way back into our hearts. That tells me that the Mokopuna will be even more important to us in the coming years. The value of the Waitaha Gathering was in learning these lessons so I could share it out with the people I meet. And still it catches me off guard when someone explains just how profound they found this knowledge to be. In some ways it feels like the Mokopuna are giving modern society the chance to change. Will we grasp it with both hands and run squealing with delight into our hearts?